WM/Treks/Log 1-19
Narrator: The delvers, upon returning to the cave in the pass, found it occupied by goblins. They fought and the delvers took possesion of the cave. GM: Alright, so you have a room liberally colored with blood of goblins and a pile of corpses floating down the little river. GM: Or something, I'm not sure about that. Wolfgang: poor little river! Minnizig: (( excellent material for my necrotechnician! Or a horde of zombies for my necrotechnician to put down? )) GM: Ghazeb is in poor shape, Thasos is currently barely okay but not really up for any more combat for 24 hours or so, and the rest of you are nearly unhurt. Beltarne: ((We waited to check the door till you were here)) Marik: We also have a door, and a key. I apply the latter to the former. GM: Alright then. Marik: ...Possibly after we clean things up and rest. Depending on how other people feel about that. ** Wolfgang stands ready to slam the door shut again ** Narrator: Marik steps to the door and presses the key to the lock. It slides in easily and turns quietly. Beltarne: ((I wanted to rest first, but oh well)) Narrator: The door opens to reveal a small chamber, maybe 8 yards by 10 yards. It looks like a natural formation in the rock. Narrator: The walls are covered with well made cabinets and shelves, though they are hung poorly. Large tables dominate the room, filled with glassware of all sorts: pipes, beakers, vials, strange spiral tubing, burners, and the like. Marik: "Huh. I expected something more." Wolfgang: "OK, looks harmless, that's gotta be some magic trap." Narrator: It looks to be a very well-stocked alchemist's laboratory. Minnizig: It does! Minnizig: It's a shame our alchemist is comatose. GM: There are a couple of smoke holes in the ceiling, but none of the burners or anything is currently lit. Marik: So getting this stuff back to Polisberg would be worth a moderately large sum of money. Marik: But it's all fragile and hard to transport. Beltarne: "Lock it back up and come back with a wagon?" Marik: On the other hand, this door is impregnable and we know how to get back here. Wolfgang: "We really need someone who knows which things blow up if jostled" GM: Right. There's a large bin of glass fragments in one corner. Minnizig: "How did he get all this here?" Marik: "He did have a wagon." Marik: "Until he drove it off a cliff." Wolfgang: "Or it fell out of the sky" Beltarne: "Built in place what he couldn't carry in, I imagine." Minnizig: "... or got teleported like I did earlier and like we all did the day before." Wolfgang: "Well, what can we identify as valuable, safe and light?" ** Thasos nods, thinking the gnome may be right. ** Beltarne: Can I carefully search the glass fragments for anything of interest? ** Minnizig pulls out the potions salvaged earlier and tries to match up symbols. ** Wolfgang: "We can come back for anything not fitting in that category" ** Thasos puts his hands together then pulls them back suddenly. He shakes his head and looks stern. ** GM: Beltarne, roll Search. GM: Minnizig, roll Alchemy. Minnizig: "You'd want some heavy gloves for that Beltarne." Beltarne: Search (13) 3d6.skill(13,0) => 1,6,5 = 12 vs (13) or less Success! by 1 Minnizig: No alchemy! How's thaumatology at a penalty? Beltarne: "Luckily I'm wearing heavy gloves, wee one." GM: -7 for the default! Marik: "I say we leave anything we can't immediately use; we're pretty flush as it is, and we established pretty thoroughly that one is NOT getting into this room without the key or some serious stone-moving equipment." ** Thasos nods emphatically. ** Wolfgang: "Stone moving equipment and anti-fire magic!" GM: Beltarne, the glass fragments are pretty much just that - repeatedly broken glass. Some of the larger pieces look to be low quality, unlike the elegant pipes and beakers on the tables. Minnizig: Thaumatology (14) 3d6.skill(14,-7) => 1,4,2 = 7 vs (7) or less Success! by 0 Includes: +4 from 'Magery' Beltarne: Windows or something? Wolfgang: ((bets it is his glass recycle bin)) GM: Beltarne also finds a strange contraption of brass and leather, some kind of bellows with pipes and valves coming out of it. ** Thasos points to the large shards then to the door. ** Beltarne: "I don't know Marik, I'm sure we can afford to grab a few choice items..." Wolfgang: ((or a dormant glass shard golem)) GM: No, the large pieces look to be curved, just not well made. Beltarne: ((I'm waiting to get stabbed in the face, yes)) Minnizig: "Goblin work, I'm sure." GM: Minnizig, there are some similar looking stations on the tables, but everything is labeled in the same alchemical script that you don't read very well. ** Marik takes his time going over the room for hidden nooks, crannies, concealed doors, false floors, or anything else something small or valuable might be hidden. ** Marik: Search with an extra time bonus? ** Wolfgang stands around looking at stuff and making sure the wonder twins don't come in and break/bleed on anything ** whispering to Wolfgang, Beltarne found a an alchemical flamethrower. You can use it to spray a limited amount of alchemical fire potions a limited distance. Minnizig: "What the heck is that, Beltarne? Some sort of crazy bagpipes?" GM: Marik, you find a lot of pages written in alchemical script that you can't read. Real mad scientist stuff. ** Thasos cringes from the thing Beltarne has found. ** Beltarne: "Erm... not that I've seen before. I assumed it was of Gnomish make.... what with the brass..." Marik: "Look at this character repeated over and over here. I think that's an exclamation mark. What kind of mind needs fourteen exclamation marks?" Minnizig: "Wait. Can't be bagpipes, the 'chanter' doesn't have enough holes in it." GM: Wolfgang has a whisper. ** Beltarne pokes it gingerly with his foot ** Minnizig: "What kind of mind needs a chanter with no holes in it?" ** Thasos makes a scary face and claws with his hands. ** Wolfgang: "I seen one of them, you can make it shoot fire." Minnizig: "I mean, Bagpipes are tricky enough as they are, only having one dang note to play would be mon-" ** Minnizig pauses. ** Wolfgang: "Just don't get hit while holding it." Minnizig: "What kind of mind needs bagpipes that shoot fire?" Beltarne: "The kind who builds his lab way the hell out here with the goblins, sick birds, harpies, and megalomaniacal druid?" Wolfgang: "Fwoosh!!! Then lots of screaming." ** Thasos has a look of wonderment on his face now. ** Beltarne: "Shoot fire?" ** Beltarne eyes pile of leather and brass speculatively. ** Beltarne: "Reaaallly...." Wolfgang: "Yah, like a mage or something" GM: DF: Cleric p 34 for the details. Wolfgang: "Way better range than dumping pots of burning oil" Beltarne: ((I know, I'm having fun!)) GM: Sure, sure. Minnizig: "I tell you what they won't do, they won't make us popular with the crazy druid." ** Thasos looks at the flamethrower and strokes his chin thoughtfully. He grins and nods. ** ** Beltarne starts grinning at Minnizig's statement. ** Beltarne: "Aye, that'd be a crying shame, there." Wolfgang: "No, you can't have it. I know you don't know how to make it work since you didn't know what it was" ** Wolfgang looks at Thasos" ** ** Thasos points at Wolfgang questioningly. ** Marik: "I suspect none of us would really have that much success with it." Marik: "But it should be worth something." Minnizig: "I say whoever experiments with it stands well in front." Wolfgang: "Aye, sell, not try and use" Marik: "Minnizig, I can't read a word of this, but I bet there's someone in Polisberg who'd pay well for it." ** Beltarne , wistfully "Probably wise" ** ** Minnizig tries to avoid looking too grabby as she snatches at the manuscript Marik is waving around. ** Minnizig: "Gimme gimme, I wanna see." ** Thasos sighs, disappointed. ** Wolfgang: "So we have a fire projector and some notebooks so far, anything else?" ** Marik hands it over with a shrug, then passes Beltarne the key and heads back towards the cave entrance to keep watch. ** ** Thasos pulls out the book he's been carrying and tries to show it to Ghazeb again. ** GM: Thousands of dollars in glassware! Fragile, heavy glassware! Minnizig: Does any of the stuff at the vaguely familiar stations look like its ready to travel? Ghazeb: "Ghazeb is tired, Thasos. Put the silly book away." Minnizig: Or does it all look like raw materials? ** Beltarne happily daydreams of a return trip with a wagon. ** ** Thasos rolls his eyes, but puts it back. ** GM: No, it looks like clean and well-scrubbed labware. There are some ingredients, but they're well separated. ** Wolfgang thinks of a return with boxes and packing materials, plus a donkey train ** GM: Everyone make IQ rolls. Thasos: IQ (10) 3d6.skill(10,0) => 1,2,2 = 5 vs (10) or less Success! by 5 Minnizig: IQ (13) 3d6.skill(13,0) => 3,6,2 = 11 vs (13) or less Success! by 2 Wolfgang: IQ (10) 3d6.skill(10,0) => 3,1,5 = 9 vs (10) or less Success! by 1 Beltarne: IQ (14) 3d6.skill(14,0) => 4,2,6 = 12 vs (14) or less Success! by 2 Marik: IQ: 3d6.skill(11,0) => 5,4,6 = 15 vs (11) or less Failure! by 4 Marik: Luck! Marik: IQ: 3d6.skill(11,0) => 1,2,3 = 6 vs (11) or less Success! by 5 Marik: IQ: 3d6.skill(11,0) => 2,6,4 = 12 vs (11) or less Failure! by 1 Marik: I like success by 5. whispering to Thasos, This is fine glass. Even transporting it on a mule in padded boxes, a lot of it would break. Thasos: we're a smart bunch of delvers, eh whispering to Beltarne, This is fine glass. Even transporting it on a mule in padded boxes, a lot of it would break. whispering to Wolfgang, This is fine glass. Even transporting it on a mule in padded boxes, a lot of it would break. whispering to Minnizig, This is fine glass. Even transporting it on a mule in padded boxes, a lot of it would break. whispering to Marik, This is fine glass. Even transporting it on a mule in padded boxes, a lot of it would break. GM: People have whispers. Marik: "I'll leave it up to you people to figure out how to transport all of that without breaking it." Wolfgang: "Lets leave the glass, it'll just break" Wolfgang: "Maybe we can find out how to move it back in town" Beltarne: "mmm.... crap. Perhaps we can sell the location and key to someone better equipped to retrieve it?" Minnizig: "Can we find something small enough to put in that padded box we found?" GM: which padded box? Minnizig: I thought we found a padded box in the village. ** Thasos shakes his head at Beltarne. ** Minnizig: I could be wrong. Wolfgang: "That's a small box, and even it might not be enough" GM: just checking, I think you did too, but you've found lots of stuff. Wolfgang: I think I have that Wolfgang: with some of the jewelry in it Beltarne: You do Beltarne: According to my spreadsheet Wolfgang: ((sometimes can remember stuff)) GM: It's just a well-made chest, it isn't padded on the inside. Beltarne: ((Beltarne Rockholm, Holy Accountant!)) Wolfgang: oh GM: http://westmarchsaga.wikia.com/wiki/WM/Treks/Log_1-17 GM: The backpack of pixie gear you found at the harpy nest probably had some padded boxes in it, but... pixie scale. Wolfgang: "Well, we getting anything else? if not lets close this up again" ** Thasos points to the key and holds up his money pouch. He shakes his head. ** Beltarne: "Sounds like a plan." Beltarne: "You don't want to sell it Thasos?" ** Minnizig tilts her head and squints at Thasos. ** GM: Are you guys taking the flamethrower? Wolfgang: yes Beltarne: Yes, I'll carry it. ** Thasos points at each member of the group, including himself, and holds up his money pouch. He smiles and nods. ** ** Minnizig holds her hands up making a rectangle out of the thumb and forefingers of each hand, and squints at Thasos through it. "I, like, totally need to learn how to read your mind." ** Beltarne: "You think we can make more plundering it ourselves?" Minnizig: "Or do you want to buy it yourself?" ** Thasos nods emphatically at Beltarne. ** ** Thasos hunches over, making a snarling face. Then he stands up straight and thumps his chest. ** Wolfgang: "If all else fails we could use it to stash loot we find later" ** Wolfgang looks at Thasos like he's mad ** Beltarne: "I think if we can sell the information for an interested party, like the alchemist's guild, we could make more than if we rented or bought a mule and custom order padded boxes, came out here, and then broke some of it heading back." ** Thasos sighs. ** Beltarne: Perhaps Beltarne: "We'll have to see what we're offered." Wolfgang: "Well, we should see if Firefly recovers, or another alchemist wants to join first" Beltarne: "No final decisions without discussing it with the group, I promise, okay big guy?" Wolfgang: "They might know tricks to transporting glassware so they don't have to make it." ** Thasos punches the air a few times. He shakes his head. ** Wolfgang: "Anyhow, everyone out and lets close it up and lock it since we have what we're going to take for now" ** Thasos nods. ** ** Beltarne waits for everyone, then locks it behind them, checking the door to make sure it relocks. ** GM: Okay then. GM: What next? Marik: The time is... midmorning? Thasos: ((i think we need to be getting back to polisberg Thasos: )) Wolfgang: "We going to wait here for the druid to attack us again or we gonna head out?" Beltarne: ((Yeah, only question is whether to camp here for the night.)) GM: Late afternoon, nearly 5 pm. GM: Actually, probably well after 5 by the time you're done searching and tossing goblin bodies in the river. Marik: "I say we camp here - outside the cave, unless we really want to sleep among dead goblin - and get back to Polisberg double-time in the morning." ** Thasos points to the ambush point and raises a brow. ** Beltarne: "Marik's plan sounds fine, though I'd prefer to move the corpses outside and sleep in here tonight." Wolfgang: "lets dump them somewhere, then sleep in the cave, outside is pretty exposed to diseased eagle bombs" ** Thasos nods. ** Minnizig: "Bleh. You guys can handle the dead bodies." Ghazeb: "Ghazeb likes to sleep on the nice, soft bed in here." Wolfgang: "My plan should also ensure the local bears are well fed and don't bother us" ** Thasos points to where he got ambushed again and looks around with a questioning glance. ** ** Marik shrugs and sets out to forage for food. "Whatever you prefer to do. I'll be back with dinner." ** Marik: ((Foraging roll?)) ** Wolfgang proceeds to clear a path in the caltrops and then lug dead gobbos away from the cave ** ** Thasos helps with the bodies. ** GM: Sure, Marik. Marik: Survival (Gold Farm): 3d6.skill(15,0) => 3,2,3 = 8 vs (15) or less Success! by 7 ** Wolfgang strips them of gear first ** Beltarne: ((Begins clearing caltrops and carrying corpses out, dumping them at least 100 feet from cave entrance.)) Wolfgang: ((tosses a couple of the small ones in trees)) Narrator: As Marik heads out to forage for grubs and Wolfgang and Beltarne tote goblin corpses out, all three hear a series of bone-chillding howls. High above them on the ridgeline, a series of lupine shapes prowl. Yellow eyes track their every move. ** Thasos just tosses the corpses, naked, about randomly, but far from the cave. ** Thasos: (4 - i was along too) Beltarne: "Marik... is that normal?" Marik: "Normal for dire wolves, sure. They shouldn't be interested in us unless they're starving." ** Thasos begins slowly returning to the cave, warily. ** Beltarne: "Must be their lucky day" Wolfgang: "As long as they like gobbo for dinner" GM: Other than that, you have an uneventful evening. GM: Beltarne, roll Healing Slumber for Thasos and Ghazeb. Beltarne: ((hfh)) Beltarne: Healing Slumber (Holy) (16) 3d6.skill(16,1) => 3,6,2 = 11 vs (17) or less Success! by 6 Includes: +4 from 'Power Investiture (Holy)' Beltarne: Healing Slumber (Holy) (16) 3d6.skill(16,1) => 5,5,6 = 16 vs (17) or less Success! by 1 Includes: +4 from 'Power Investiture (Holy)' GM: Alright, they heal up overnight. GM: The wind starts picking up around 9 pm, blowing fairly hard out of the north. GM: Marik, roll Weather Sense. Marik: Weather Sense: 3d6.skill(10,0) => 5,4,4 = 13 vs (10) or less Failure! by 3 Marik: ((Not covered by Scout!. Alas.)) GM: I still think that's an oversight. GM: Anywho. Narrator: The 11th day dawns overcast and windy, with the sun hidden behind darkening clouds. The delvers are refreshed and reasonably well fed. Marik: "Looks like bad weather, but around here who can tell? Let's get on the road." GM: For what it's worth, I rolled that today was the High Holy Day of Order and Chaos. Wolfgang: both? GM: So nobody gets any Sanctity bonuses today. Minnizig: That's... Minnizig: awesome. GM: Yes, but they cancel each other out. Beltarne: It's escher Beltarne: Ordered Chaos Beltarne: Or something GM: So. Plan? Beltarne: To Polisberg! Wolfgang: ^^^ Minnizig: To polisberg! Marik: To Polisberg. Narrator: As the delvers leave the cave, they can see bloody pawprints throughout the area. Some large, furry, four-legged creatures have taken away several of the goblin corpses and mauled the rest. Minnizig: (( afk briefly, grabbing some desert! )) Marik: ((I feel better for having fed the Dire Wolves.)) Minnizig: Hiking! 3d6.skill(11) => 3,5,3 = 11 vs (11) or less Success! by 0 Beltarne: Hiking (12) 3d6.skill(12,0) => 6,1,6 = 13 vs (12) or less Failure! by 1 Thasos: Hiking (12) 3d6.skill(12,0) => 2,5,2 = 9 vs (12) or less Success! by 3 Beltarne: ((I can not pass an effing hiking roll)) GM: You're not the slow one, guys. Wolfgang: ((I feel better not having to stop dire wolves from eating me)) Beltarne: ((Definitely putting a point into that when we get to town.)) Marik: Hiking: 3d6.skill(15,0) => 5,4,1 = 10 vs (15) or less Success! by 5 Minnizig: Back! Narrator: The delvers travel north by northwest, following the road back to Polisberg. GM: Hang on, I have to look something up really quick. GM: My notes are crap. GM: Vision checks at -8! Minnizig: Vision (13) 3d6.skill(13,-9) => 2,1,5 = 8 vs (4) or less Failure! by 4 Thasos: Vision (11) 3d6.skill(11,-8) => 4,3,1 = 8 vs (3) or less Failure! by 5 Ghazeb: 3d6.skill(11,-8) => 4,6,3 = 13 vs (3) or less Critical Failure! by 10 B556 Beltarne: Vision (14) 3d6.skill(14,-8) => 2,6,5 = 13 vs (6) or less Failure! by 7 Wolfgang: Vision (13) 3d6.skill(13,-8) => 5,5,1 = 11 vs (5) or less Failure! by 6 Marik: Vision: 3d6.skill(14,+2-8) => 3,4,2 = 9 vs (8) or less Failure! by 1 Narrator: Time passes quickly, though the miles do not, as soon the grey mountains peaks to either side descend down to more level with the ground, while low hills rise to the north. Narrator: The road meets another at a T-intersection, and Marik turns unerringly right as he retraces his steps. GM: This is a gimme, but what the hey. GM: Everyone roll (one roll for each PC) the best of Survival (Plains) +2, Vision -2, Naturalist, or Herbology. Wolfgang: Vision (13) 3d6.skill(13,-2) => 3,2,3 = 8 vs (11) or less Success! by 3 Marik: Vision: 3d6.skill(14,-2) => 4,4,2 = 10 vs (12) or less Success! by 2 Beltarne: Vision (14) 3d6.skill(14,-1) => 5,6,5 = 16 vs (13) or less Failure! by 3 Thasos: Vision (11) 3d6.skill(11,-2) => 2,3,6 = 11 vs (9) or less Failure! by 2 Beltarne: ((Failed by 4, not 3)) Marik: ((I should have rolled Survival. Success by 3!)) Minnizig: Vision (13) 3d6.skill(13,-2) => 3,3,4 = 10 vs (11) or less Success! by 1 Ghazeb: Ghazeb 3d6.skill(11-2) => 3,1,2 = 6 vs (9) or less Success! by 3 Marik: ((Er, Success by *7*.)) whispering to Marik, The dwarf is about to relieve himself in a cluster of poison sumac. whispering to Marik, Do you care? GM: Marik has a whisper. Marik: "Beltarne." Marik: "Unless you want to spend the next two weeks scratching yourself furiously, I suggest you not try to relieve yourself in the poison sumac." Beltarne: "What? Oh... shit." Marik: "That's your business, I didn't need the details." ** Beltarne steps away from glossy-leaved plant. ** GM: A minor crisis averted, the delvers continue on. Narrator: To the north, the delvers can see a forest in and over the hills. Marik reckons it is the southern edge of the Sylwood forest. Beltarne: ((So are we through Storm Pass? That seemed... quick.)) Minnizig: (( we totally got teleported. )) Marik: ((Something something NOT HORRENDOUSLY SIDETRACKED SEVERAL TIMES something.)) Minnizig: (( I think teleporting us would be the only way to do that :D )) Wolfgang: ((is fine being teleported back to town)) Wolfgang: ((wishes this was town)) Marik: "Right. If we push on late, we may see Polisberg by 7 PM or so." GM: As you are stopping for a lunch break, a large jackelope steps out from behind a rock in the southern hills. Marik: "I know you all are looking forward to a comfortable bed, though I can't imagine... what." ** Marik peers at the jackelope. ** Minnizig: ... how large? Minnizig: Like, hare sized? Beltarne: ((Are jackalopes worth money?)) GM: Large hare sized. Wolfgang: ((man, we're in texas!)) GM: Not really, they're just game animals. Minnizig: Jackalopes are... Minnizig: not exactly just game animals. GM: Bunnies with antlers. Beltarne: ((Oh, thought they might be rare)) Minnizig: Game animals aren't crazy :D ** Marik puts his bow aside. ** GM: It looks at you all, sniffs, and steps back behind its rock. ** Beltarne unlimbers his crossbow, aiming at the meal on legs ** Beltarne: "Crap" Wolfgang: "What, they good eating?" GM: You get one shot at it, Beltarne. Range is 70 yds. Beltarne: What kind of acc bonus? Beltarne: None? GM: Nope, no time to aim. Beltarne: Nah, no shot GM: It's only hanging around for 3 seconds, until it notices people looking at it. Marik: "Onward! Double-time." Beltarne: "Double-time?" Beltarne: "We're running to Polisberg?" Narrator: The delvers cross two rivers on rickety bridges. Just north of the second bridge, the road forks to the north. Marik continues constantly on the northeast road. Minnizig: "I've got short legs here, Nuhuh." ** Thasos runs after Marik. ** Narrator: About 45 minutes later, you reach a familiar marker. Narrator: In Trade Tongue and Polisberger, it reads "Monsters: Come no further! The Polisberg Militia will destroy you!" A variety of decayed and decaying critter skulls are heaped around the marker. Minnizig: ? Minnizig: Aha Narrator: The Ettinheads tower of you to the northeast, just off the road. Beltarne: "Marik, what kind of skulls you think those are?" Marik: "Critter skulls." Marik: "Like the Narrator said." Beltarne: "Ah" ** Beltarne nods sagely ** Thasos: ((hey, keep that 4th wall in one piece)) ** Wolfgang looks to see if there are any new skulls ** Narrator: The delvers continue through the east Durgan hills, feeling safer now that they are in the heavily patrolled area. Minnizig: "Oh shoot, we should have brought some goblin skulls to contribute." Wolfgang: "Bah, those are a dime a dozen, harpy would have been a worthy addition though" Beltarne: "We'll be back" ** Beltarne says with a slight austrian accent ** Wolfgang: "Rather haul stuff back we can sell anyhow" Narrator: The delvers reach Firhill around 4 pm, as the miners are beginning to emerge from their mines and shepherds bring their flocks. The dwarves of the town nudge each other as the delvers pass, whispering with wide eyes. ** Minnizig doesn't know to keep between Thasos and the sheep. ** Marik: I've got keen elvish ears; are those 'Oh hell, it's THEM!' whispers, or 'Whoa, they actually came back alive!' whispers? Narrator: Continuing north on the well-traveled road, the delvers pass more shepherds and farmers coming in from their fields. The winds slow and the clouds above darken as the sun moves toward the horizon. GM: A bit of both. ** Wolfgang thinks we move a lot faster with Beltarne's new boots ** GM: Technically, you guys are going to have to stop just before reaching town, but I'm going to assume that Wolfgang can make 1 HT roll for a forced march of an entire fricking hour. Wolfgang: Flight (Gargoyle) (13) 3d6.skill(13,0) => 6,2,3 = 11 vs (13) or less Success! by 2 Marik: If not, we'll mock him until he injures himself keeping up. Minnizig is good at that. Wolfgang: Flight = Hiking for flyers Wolfgang: HT (14) 3d6.skill(14,+1) => 6,5,4 = 15 vs (15) or less Success! by 0 Wolfgang: or a HT roll Wolfgang: either way GM: Wolfgang whines and complains as you push on after his usual stopping time, but you're in sight of druid's grove by then and can sometimes catch the walls of Polisberg when as you crest hills. Beltarne: ((Beltarne's internal monologue, "Beer, beer, beer, beer..." ** Marik stops at the druid's grove, divests himself of loot and passes it to Beltarne, and wanders off to say hello to the local druids and offer them a report of his activities. If you people can't find Polisberg from there, it's been nice knowing you. ** Narrator: The sun is nearly set at the delvers reach the Polisberg walls. Ahead of them, the guards look warily at the trudging band, talk amongst themselves, and begin closing the gates in front of them. ** Thasos raises a brow. ** ** Wolfgang yells "Awe come on!Don't be like that!" ** Minnizig: "Hey! Hallo the... house? Hallo the townsmen!" Polisberg Guard: "Sun is set, weirdo! Gates are closing!" Polisberg Guard: "Hullo, what!" ** Minnizig looks behind us to see if there's monsters or something. ** Minnizig: "Gates are closing, not closed! Frank, is that you?" GM: Nope, just the south road. ** Minnizig squints. ** ** Thasos hurries a bit faster. ** ** Wolfgang makes a bit better time to get to the gates before they can close them ** Polisberg Guard: "Oh! Uh... hullo, Minnizig. Wait, didn't you leave for Shigrad?" Beltarne: "So you don't want the latest on the movements of the bands of goblins out in the wild country?!" Polisberg Guard: "Well...." Minnizig: "I was waylayed by goblins! These brave folks rescued me from a fate worse than death!" GM: The gates are pretty much going to be closed before you reach them. The portcullis is already down. ** Thasos nods vigorously, clapping a friendly hand on her shoulder. ** Beltarne: ((Son of a Bitch.)) Polisberg Guard: "Well, uh... but shouldn't you be at the West gate?" Beltarne: ((Well, guards got to get inside somehow.)) Minnizig: "That would be nice, except with the getting carried off and the mountains and the you have no freeking idea." Beltarne: ((Sally port)) Minnizig: (( they're up on the gate. they're inside. )) Marik: ((You close gates from the INSIDE)) Minnizig: "Buy me a drink, and I'll tell you the story. Not standing outside the damn gates as you close them in my face!" Wolfgang: "West gate still open since it's on the sun side then?" ** Thasos looks at the sky, then looks at the distance to the west gate. ** GM: Thasos, roll Bad Temper as these guys jerk your chain. Minnizig, roll some kind of interaction skill, please. Thasos: Resist Bad Temper (15-) 3d6.skill(15,0) => 4,5,6 = 15 vs (15) or less Success! by 0 Note: can trigger Berserk Marik: ((So close!)) Minnizig: I tell a damn good story. Public Speaking? Marik: ((That would have been AWESOME.)) GM: Sure! Minnizig: Public Speaking (15) 3d6.skill(15,0) => 4,5,6 = 15 vs (15) or less Success! by 0 Includes: +1 from 'Charisma', +2 from 'Voice' ** Wolfgang looks for any non-human guards ** Minnizig: by zero. Really. LUCK on that crap. Minnizig: Public Speaking (15) 3d6.skill(15,0) => 6,4,6 = 16 vs (15) or less Failure! by 1 Includes: +1 from 'Charisma', +2 from 'Voice' Minnizig: Public Speaking (15) 3d6.skill(15,0) => 5,3,3 = 11 vs (15) or less Success! by 4 Includes: +1 from 'Charisma', +2 from 'Voice' Minnizig: I'll take by 4 damnit, this is my specialty. Polisberg Guard: "Well, I suppose if these people helped you, we can overlook that they're funny-looking and let them in. Hey, hey Fritz! Hold on a moment on the gates! Charles, John, get the portcullis open at let these people in!" Polisberg Guard: He turns back to Minnizig. "You're buying us drinks, right!" ** Minnizig face-palms. ** GM: Allright, then. ** Beltarne mutters underneath his breath "like hell." ** Minnizig: "Fair's fair I suppose, but you're buying me one back for the story." GM: Do we want to call it here, now that you're inside town? Thasos: it's early yet Beltarne: Fine by me GM: Or do people want to split loot and stuff. Minnizig: I think there's loot to sell and such. Beltarne: Do we have anything? Marik: It's early, but there's not a whole lot of adventure left. I think we have loot to sell. Marik: Or Minnizig has loot to sell. GM: You have lots of loot to sell. Wolfgang: we could do some of the split and sell now I supposed Marik: And then I also think people were planning to switch characters, and that sort of thing is best done when the players are together. Thasos: Thasos wants to try getting this book researched, somehow GM: Which books is that? Beltarne: Alchemist lair book, I believe. Thasos: the one that he thinks Ghazeb can read Marik: I'm mostly happy with Marik. There are some things I dislike, but nothing I can't fix with earned points. I think he's contributing well, even if he is a dick. >.> Thasos: I'm keeping Thasos until he dies, btw Marik: So I'll stay put, which covers 'Navigation, Tracking, Foraging'. Thasos: but being how he gets carved up, it's only a matter of time :D Beltarne: I'm sticking around. Probably gonna see if I have enough for Luck. Marik: Which reminds me - how many earned points is that, Mark? Wolfgang: I'm keeping wolfgang because he's a beast and hasn't gone negative yet Thasos: i am, however, spending 5 points to buy off selfish disadvantage Minnizig: I like Zig. If I temporarily shelve her for Shelly (the necrotechnician) is she still available, mucking around town, if I want to switch back to her? Beltarne: Wolfgang is a beast Beltarne: A flying, armored, beast GM: Yes, you can switch between PCs that aren't dead. GM: Let's do the loot list and shopping over email. Wolfgang: is firefly alive, or does it turn out she died at some point? Thasos: oh fair enough, mark Wolfgang: ok GM: She's alive but retired unless you spend $5K on healing her. GM: I'm not done yet - Thasos: should still be alive, sort of Beltarne: I promise to buy food this time Wolfgang: retired but alive is OK GM: we can do research, rumor-gathering, and stuff life that now. Wolfgang: ah GM: And you may want to sort what people are selling and keeping here. GM: It's faster than email exchanges. Minnizig: Do we have CP totals? GM: Oh, and everyone earns 14 CP, less spent points. Beltarne: Only loot I'm keeping is the ST 18 crossbow and the boots of dwarfiness Wolfgang: we're keeping they key, yes? GM: In order to keep the CP totals from going through the roof, I'm changing the formula to 1 CP per game day, +1 per loot area you enter. Minnizig: I would say yes. Minnizig: That's a good one Mark. GM: You were out for 11 days, and discovered 3 loot areas: goblin cave, harpy nest, and beyond the locked door. Marik: I could have sworn it was 15 CP several sessions ago. Did we lose some since then? Wolfgang: game day = session? Marik: Oh! Minnizig: No, day in the game world. Marik: Cool. Wolfgang: ah Wolfgang: cool GM: I think that's still plenty, mind you. Minnizig: I tried basically one per session and it got a little strange. The rough part was how long my players were out before getting back to down. They got a little frustrated. Wolfgang: WTB town portal scrolls :P GM: Heh. Minnizig: Bottomless bags :D GM: Is anyone planning on putting points in Carousing or Current Events? Minnizig: Tensers Floating Disk also good. Marik: Hm. Minnizig: Well, Zig probably, but I don't think she gets to research if I'm changing up? GM: Nope. Wolfgang: yes, carousing Marik: Six months of almost-weekly play for 14 CP. Wolfgang: plus, I will be doing a lot of carousing :) Marik: Balanced by the fact that characters started quite powerful. Minnizig: And the fact that we get about half as much done per game day. Minnizig: er, play day. Marik: Yeah. Minnizig: As a face to face group would anyways. Minnizig: at 1 per session of face to face, I think we'd have about 12 cp by now. Minnizig: minus one or two for missed sessions possibly. Minnizig: So this comes in at about the same ballpark, accounting for the occasional bonus for doing something cool or funny. Beltarne: I'm gonna put a point into Carousing GM: Who is collecting rumors, what skills are they using, are they confirming information or casting widely? Marik: Marik involves himself in none of this, but he does try to sell a map. Wolfgang: we get one roll a day? Minnizig: 1d8 => 7 = (7) Minnizig: Sorry, mistype. Minnizig: click. Minnizig: thing. GM: One roll per week. Wolfgang: heh Wolfgang: how long we planning on staying here? Wolfgang: 1 week min I guess for selling Minnizig: What are the relevant skills again? Research, Carousing, Current Affairs? GM: 1 week minimum every time you return to town. GM: Carousing: collect rumors in bars GM: Current Affairs: collect rumors in nice places Beltarne: Carousing to find rumors. I don't have research or current affairs Marik: Cost of Living is $400/week, more for people with disadvantages causing them to live large. $200 for Marik because he's Strange. GM: Research: discover true facts that aren't complete lies. GM: Oh, hey, Marik, roll Survival. Beltarne: Heh Wolfgang: can we use carousing to confirm rumors? or research stuff? Marik: Survival (Towns are for sissies): 3d6.skill(15,0) => 2,4,1 = 7 vs (15) or less Success! by 8 GM: Anyone else hanging out in places other than the Inn can either roll Survival (Woods) or Urban Survival. Thasos: along with buying off selfish, I'm buying another point of Will Marik: If that was (Woods), that became 'Success by 12'. GM: You can use Carousing to collect rumors. When collecting rumors, you can either confirm your sources or cast your net widely. Thasos: so i have 4 points left Wolfgang: I'd like to go with the confirm sources option then, a few good leads are better than a ton of uncertain ones Minnizig: Minnizig would be planted firmly in the Inn whether she has a decent home or not - running some sort of gambling scam. Shelly will be probably staying in the inn, as she isn't local, and is looking for the kind of work that demands specialized labor that is pain insensitive. Minnizig: Can you do Research without having a lead from another skill? Beltarne: I'm gonna be confirming my sources GM: Minnizig: yes. Wolfgang: I'll be staying at the inn living large GM: But you need to be asking about something. Thasos: Minnizig will likely deal with Grabbo on occasion, as he gambles... and cheats Minnizig: Shelly will be doing Research looking for any information about the restless dead/undead/people wot disrespect the dead and need a fixin' Wolfgang: Wolfgang pretty much likes everyone who will drink with him, so you can ask about stuff I know about, like the druid Wolfgang: and the ghost dude, who I barely know about Minnizig: Any rumor of a "ghost dude" will definitely get her attention. Wolfgang: the paladin who got killed and walks the land all ghostlike Marik: Marik will be working with his existing maps and what he's learned from the last trip to try and make himself a better, more annotated map of the area. Which he will happily sell a copy of. Marik: (I like Cartography!) Wolfgang: ((I'll also help whoever is selling our suff not get robbed by armed thugs__ GM: Wolfgang learns: A dragon in ensorcelled slumber lies beneath the Steam Downs. The one dry tunnel in the center of the Downs leads to his lair. Also, # If you sleep for three nights on the top of the highest hill of Sylwood Forest, you will be visited by faeries. On the southeast end of the Sweltering Swamp, a single hill rises out of the swamp. The Standing Stones are on top of it. The mysterious 4-Points Tower can only be opened by a magical key, lost in the Crystal Lakes in the Gray Mountains. Verskloft stands on the southern shores of the Sweltering Lake. You can see it from Kirkengard. Minnizig: Looking at a Research 15 for Shelly, Mark. I'll get you the character sheet shortly, just spending the last points. GM: Beltarne learns that anyone who sees the Standing Stones at sundown will be cursed. GM: I'll deal with Shelly later, 'cause starting characters get rumors and stuff. Minnizig: Fair 'nuff! GM: Thasos is asking about the book, right? GM: ... GM: Sure, why not! GM: Thasos, roll Gesture! Marik: He's allowed to WRITE, isn't he? GM: Well, I don't know. Thasos: Gesture (11) 3d6.skill(11,0) => 5,2,2 = 9 vs (11) or less Success! by 2 Wolfgang: I think DF lets everyone write by default Thasos: I'm honestly not sure Generic Humans: "Listen, points, this book is ruined. It's crap, it's trash, it's no good. So it's fitting that you have it. Even if it weren't ruined, though, whoever had it last didn't know how to spell, so I guess it's yours and you can't read your own writing. Now get out my stall 'cause I don't like how you smell! Wolfgang: he might need to shell out for a chalkboard and some chalk or something like it though for it to help him Generic Humans: "Oh, and that'll be 30 copper for the consult. Thank you." ** Wolfgang dies laughing IRL ** GM: Thasos needs to control his Bad Temper. Minnizig: GURPS lets everyone write by default. Illiteracy is a disadvantage. Thasos: Resist Bad Temper (15-) 3d6.skill(15,0) => 4,3,5 = 12 vs (15) or less Success! by 3 Note: can trigger Berserk ** Thasos keeps his cool, but doesn't want to pay for nothing, either. ** Thasos: Intimidation (12) 3d6.skill(12,0) => 2,4,4 = 10 vs (12) or less Success! by 2 Includes: +2 from 'Appearance' Minnizig: So if you want to show him up with your good penmanship, now is a good time to do it :D Thasos: i guess Thasos can buy a quill, ink, and some paper to communicate... Generic Humans: "Well, 5 coppers, anyway. Or I'll call the Watch on you!" Beltarne: ((Depends on whether illiteracy is common in society. Probably not in DF)) GM: People can read and write. ** Thasos throws the money on the ground and walks away. ** Wolfgang: note, wolfgang will buy a round or two for the guards, mainly because he does this for everyone but they are good people to have on your side too GM: Sure, that's part of living large. GM: Alright, we'll call it there and hopefully pick it up next week. Thasos: ((I'm sort of afk btw - it never fails, the wife calls in the middle of the game)) Wolfgang: ((Technically, he has neutral reaction from them if they are professional fighters)) GM: Everyone please try to figure out where you're going before Thursday.